most mechanics won't work on a chevy van because it's too big?

[doublegregg]

hi all
i've been getting my van fixed at the dealer - which reeks. expensive, assembly line service, impersonal, (fill in other derogatory words here, no offense to any dealers out there, lol only sort of). my mechanic won't work on a van, most of the body shops have some issues with a van (even if it's they don't have enuf space)..... there is one body shop locally that specializes in big vehicles, and that's a place i no will work on my van. other than that one --- call around, be prepared for lots of no's.
but i thought one of the advantages of the chevy express was it was easy to get it worked on, especially 'out there?' i can't see that.
any experience to the contrary? yes, i'm a van dummie.

 

[PlethoraOfGuns]

Vans like that are a pain to get access to anything mechanical up under the hood. Most likely the reason nobody wants to work on it. Unless it's like brakes or something underneath which any shop should be able to handle.

 

[CosmickGold]

Vans like that are a pain to get access to anything mechanical up under the hood.

So true. I wish my 1998 Chevy Express had a long hood out the front to open; would make things so much eaiser. My old mechanic I'd used for 20+ years refused to even look under its nearly useless tiny hood. But I've got a new mechanic now that does fine work (just charges more.)

most of the body shops have some issues with a van

Yeah, my Chevy Express' previous owner cut the rear wall out so he could use it like a dump truck, hauling off huge items loaded through the open back. Replacing that wall in a body shop would have been the price of the whole van over again! So I replaced it myself using 2X2s, 1/2-inch plywood, and white paint. I've secured back doors again, but no way they will ever open. Neighbors literally shook their heads when I brought it home, two of them actually asking me why I would buy something like that. Well, I had a vision for the future, and fulfilled it! So I'm both proud and happy.

I also replaced the broken-out dark-tint windows with matchingly dark-tinted plexiglass from Amazon. Being plexiglass, it was easy to cut the rounded corners to match perfectly. They are held securely in place with double-sided Gorilla tape all the way around the edges.

 

[doublegregg]

thanks all... when i got my van, i was quite hesitant about the 'dawg house' if that's what access to the motor area is called. i new i'd never confront the internals of that vehicle, which made me uneasy.
anyone else to counter my current view that my chevy express has to be serviced at the dealership, due to its size and weight? i don't recall this being mentioned much when i was researching this.

 

[Freelander]

My RV is on a Chevy Express cab and its really not that hard to remove the doghouse on it, and then you have full access to the motor.

I was charged more since its a Motor Home.

 

[user 423]

Is it bigger in some way than a regular Chevy van? Does it have a high top like CG's? If not, I don't see how it could be too big for most shops. I've had my Ford E150 worked on at shops and it has a mid-high top and there have been no problems.

There are 10's of millions of these utility vans on the road so it shouldn't be a problem finding a shop to work on yours. Maybe you're checking at small shops that have limited space?

What kind of work are you needing to have done? Sometimes shops might refuse small/low-profit jobs so they can take on more lucrative work.

 

[tradesman]

I've not had a mechanic say they couldn't work on my Chevy van. Firestone is currently the company that works on it with no problem.

 

[bullfrog]

Years ago when I was a shop owner I didn't like taking in vans mainly because there were many more pickups and cars that didn't require extra time to learn how to get to things or remove interior pieces for access, time wasted is money lost.

 

[CoyoteG]

I bought a express van, Duramax, a couple months ago and couldn’t afford to take it to a shop so I started doing the work myself. I’m not a mechanic and it took me quite a while to tear into it and to put it all back together with the right parts. I have saved myself thousands of dollars so far, and the best benefit is that I will know my van when I have to do more work on it in the future.
The first time, the only time so far, the doghouse came off it took about an hour. Now I know I can do it in under 15 minutes, take out the front seats, paneling on the dash and then the doghouse.
Again, I’m not a mechanic. But I’m not rich enough to pay someone else to do my wrenching and I get an education of the zen and art of van maintenance.

 

[Matlock]

I have no idea where your located or where these shops are.

Based upon my first hand experience, I've had minor and major repairs done in 7 states in the last 7 years, always got at least 2 estimates and never been turned down. Delays do to scheduling yes, but never turned down by a dealer or a back yard mechanic.
FWIW, It takes 15 minutes to remove the dog house. Between the access under the hood or removal of doghouse or under the vehicle most everything is accessable. Yes there are a few things that are more difficult and expensive but that can be true with 90% of vehicles on the road today.

I can't imagine any "Mechainic" saying they wouldn't work on a Van. That's counter-intuitive to the job description and what they do for a living.

I'd interested in others experience.

I think if "my mechanic" said Nope won't work on that, I'd have moved along to another guy pretty quick.

 

[Nomad X]

hi all
i've been getting my van fixed at the dealer - which reeks. expensive, assembly line service, impersonal, (fill in other derogatory words here, no offense to any dealers out there, lol only sort of). my mechanic won't work on a van, most of the body shops have some issues with a van (even if it's they don't have enuf space)..... there is one body shop locally that specializes in big vehicles, and that's a place i no will work on my van. other than that one --- call around, be prepared for lots of no's.
but i thought one of the advantages of the chevy express was it was easy to get it worked on, especially 'out there?' i can't see that.
any experience to the contrary? yes, i'm a van dummie.

In my experience, the only time a Chevy is “too big” to get worked on is when there is an ambulance box involved - making it too wide for a standard garage bay. Or at least a pain in the butt to get into and out of, anyway.

I have had standard size work vans for more than two decades and a high top 1987 Chevy motorhome for the last five and have NEVER been turned away from any garage for any reason.

 

[CosmickGold]

My mechanic's reason for turning down my Chevy Express was because its high top makes it 10 feet tall! He would not be able to raise it on his lift to stand under it, and he won't lay on his back to work on anyone's vehicle. Even though I would sometimes need work that didn't require him sliding under it, he insisted his rule is that if the vehicle is that tall, he won't touch it at all (just in case).

 

[doublegregg]

The first time, the only time so far, the doghouse came off it took about an hour. Now I know I can do it in under 15 minutes, take out the front seats, paneling on the dash and then the doghouse.

glad you are happy doing your own work, and pocketing the $$... i'm not a mechanic either --- although i can do some work...but if i'm doing the work, i'd strong prefer NOT having to remove the front seats, paneling, doghouse, etc ----------------------- i may try doing this, but i just don't think i'll like doing this. and --- it's before you even glimpse the engine!
that's a big reason i got rid of my vespa. on that thing, you can NEVER really see what you're doing, because everything is covered by the glam-body .....probably much easier to work on than a chevy van, in terms of general access.
my buddy is a very good mechanic. his rule seems to be: he wants easy access, simple stuff, not a ton of things like A/C, etc... for him, i'd suspect dealing with the dawghouse would be a real pita --- he'd simply hate it. alas, i think i share that view. it's like an extra couple few jobs ... before you get to start the actual job.

 

[doublegregg]

my chevy is an extended version chevy express, 2500, but no one has even asked this question (is it extended, or tall, or anything). they just pass on it. thus, i was relegated to a body shop that works on HUGE vehicles..... i'm in the sf bay area, and i do prefer smaller shops. i can see where smaller shops could have trouble with the size, weight, etc., of the van ---- it seems like it's just that much bigger, that much heavier... and maybe that much... simply different, where they'll pass. unless it's a ...uh... easy job, i guess...
i'm questioning, at this point, whether my tire place would be able to work on my van....my oil changing place will, tho.
maybe i just have to sort of get used to the ins and outs of finding out where to get work on a van. i'm new at this. but it is a thorn in my side, i have to say. i'd like to make sure it's well maintained....

 

[user 423]

.....i was relegated to a body shop that works on HUGE vehicles.....
i'm questioning, at this point, whether my tire place would be able to work on my van....my oil changing place will, tho.

So you need bodywork done? Will you be paying for it out of pocket or will your insurance be paying? That may have something to do with refusals.

A tire place or oil change places usually don't also do bodywork but I guess there are 'general service' shops that might do it all.

Flag down the next Express 2500 owner you see and ask them where they get their van worked on

 

[abnorm]

BODY SHOP...What's being done ?......Assume "Paint" then the paint booth gets HUGE....that's rare......

At Tire shops across the country............ the van stays on the ground and lifted with floor jacks

OIL CHANGES are standard fare for Pull-thru "Quick"Lubes....Tall, Long.....anything <8' wide
(But I have NO idea about California) !

 

[Calaverasgrande]

The answer that I've gotten is that most shops only have one or two lifts that can accommodate heavy vehicles. And of those maybe only one that has clearance for a tall vehicle.

 

[BelgianPup]

Try one of the outlying smaller towns. In places where there is plenty of money, they can be picky.

 

[VanFan]

I have had no issues over 13 years owning a '96 Express. In fact, shops seem to be very familiar with them, and parts (with a few exceptions) have been readily available. As for the doghouse, I am not a mechanic but have removed the doghouse a few times myself. It's a little tight up there, but it has not been necessary to remove seats or the dash. If I ran a shop, I might up charge for that.

As a side note, I recently learned that the starter battery on a Ford Transit is under a plate, under the driver's seat. I guess it has to go somewhere, but what a pain.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

I own a Transit.
The battery is under the seat. Though it's not a plate. More of a T shaped bar and a collection of interlocking plastic pieces that mostly cover the battery.
On the plus side it was super easy to hook up power leads for my DC-DC charger.